In the early Irish church, there was this concept of ‘journeying for the love of God’: peregrinatio.
The Celtic people, though agrarian and strongly tied to the land, were often the type of people who had itchy feet. The peregrini, as they were called, would take to the road or the sea by boat, and literally throw themselves af God’s feet to see where He would take them. They believed themselves to be “pilgrims of the world,” (echoing the sentiments of scripture’s exhortation to be “in the world, but not of the world”) and sought God around every bend in the road, behind every tree, and in the eye and mouth of every stranger they met.
But it wasn’t a seeking as if God was not already with them, quite the contrary. This type of pilgrimage was only undertaken at the prompting of the Spirit... almost as if they were seeking God’s will, a discovery of Truth — both of the world and of the inner journey into self-awareness — that could only occur with time spent in close communion with Him.
And many times whether it be on the road, or in life, you find your journey carries you back to your beginnings, with fresh perspective, maturity, and wisdom. Every year we have the same four seasons, and yet each successive year sees changes in their manifestation. An ever-deepening spiral into intimacy (think: into-ME-see) with self, community, world, and our great and holy Creator-God.
Today, may you be blessed with understanding
Of the steps of your own journey
And of the Father’s guiding hand
Resting softly upon your shoulder.
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